Anti-glare visors



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United States Patent 3,346,876 ANTI-GLARE VISORS Willis L. Hutton, Rte. 1, Rupert, Idaho 83350 Filed Aug. 6, 1965, Ser. No. 477,707 6 Claims. c1. 2

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An anti-glade visor to be positioned on the forehead of a wearer, having a body extending a substantial distance forwardly and for the full width of the forehead of the wearer, the forwardand side edges of said body being provided with a depending continuous band terminating in a substantially straight bottom edge substantially at the eye level of the wearer. In one embodiment said body comprises a cap peak secured at its rear edge to the bottom forepart of the crown of a cap. In another embodiment an elastic head-encircling strap is secured at its ends to the rear ends of said band. In a third embodiment said body lies on the brim of a hat with the forward portion of the band engaging the forward portion of the brim and an elastic band secures the visor by embracing the crown of the hat.

This invention relates to anti-glare visors, especially, but not exclusively, for vehicle drivers.

The drivers of vehicles, especially when driving in bright sunlight and when driving at night, in the presence of bright vehicle headlights shining from in front of and from the sides of the drive vehicles, are subjected to glare which substantially reduces the drivers vision and comfort, and hence the safety of driving under such conditions. Various expedients have been more or less successfully used to ameliorate these conditions, but, in most cases these expedients have involved the employment of means which either reduce the effective vision of the driver or require manipulation of the heads of the drivers or of their hands, so that strict attention to driving, and hence, driving safety, is impaired. Another objection to prior means of the nature indicated, is that they have not provided for effective glare-shielding from the sides of the heads of the drivers, while viewing the road straight ahead. A further objection is that these devices are relatively complicated, or relatively expensive, or both, and do not lend themselves to being readily incorporated in existing headgear, such as peak equipped caps or other hats, or to being provided in the form of accessories which are easily attached to and removed from headgear.

The primary object of the present invention is the provision of anti-glare visors which eliminate or substantially reduce the above outlined drawbacks, by means of simple, inexpensive, and highly efiicient visors, which are readily adapted as built-in components of headgear or as separate accessories, adapted to be used with or without headgear.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a peak-equipped cap, in which a visor of the invention is incorporated as a component;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical longitudinal section, taken on the line 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary transverse vertical sec tion, on a reduced scale, taken on the line 33 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of another form of visor of the invention, designed to be worn without headgear;

FIGURES 5 and 6 are vertical sections, taken on the lines 5-5 and 6--6, respectively, of FIGURE 4;

3,346,876 Patented Oct. 17, 1967 FIGURE 7 is schematic top plan view, of a further form of visor of the invention, designed for installation on the brim of a crowned hat; and,

FIGURE 8 is a vertical longitudinal section, taken on the line 8-8 of FIGURE 7.

Referring in detail to the drawings, and first to FIG- URES 1 and 3 thereof, a hat or cap 10 is shown, having a crown 12, and a peak 14. The peak 14 is secured, at its rear edge to the forepart of the crown 12 and extends forwardly therefrom, at a slight forward and downward angle, and has a convexly curved forward edge 16, which curvedly merges, as indicated at 18, at its ends, into the forward ends of substantially straight side edges 20. Ordinarily, in order to avoid glare, from the front, as from sunlight or headlamps coming through a vehicle windshield, the wearer of the cap 10 is required to uncomfortably dip the head and interpose the peak 14 between the line of glare and his eyes, so that full forward vision is impaired. Similarly, when the glare is coming in through the side windows of the vehicle, a corresponding repositioning of the head is required to reduce or eliminate the effects of the glare.

Both of the above inconveniences and attention-diverting repositionings of the head are rendered unnecessary by the incorporation in the cap peak 14 of a visor 22, comprising a relatively stiff shield in the form of a band 24, extending around and suitably fixed to or integral with the forward edge 16 and the side edges 20, of the peak 14, and reaching down below the peak 14, for a sufiicient distance to be ordinarily interposed, both at the front and at the sides of the cap, between the wearers eyes and incoming glare. As shown in FIGURES 1 to 3, the band 24 is preferably of substantially uniform depth or width, and has a substantially straight horizontal lower edge 26, which, at the rear ends thereof, is upwardly curved, as indicated at 28, to the lower edge of the crown 12.

The visor 22a, shown in FIGURES 4 to 6, is designed to be worn on the drivers head, in the absence of a cap or hat, and comprises a flat horizontal body 30 having a concave rear edge 32, of a curvature to comfortably engage the forehead of a driver, between his temples, a straight forward edge 34, and straight side edges 36, extending rearwardly, at right angles to the forward edge 34, to the ends of the rear edge 32.

The visor 22a further comprises a band 24a, which is suitably affixed to and extends downwardly from and along the forward edge 34 and the side edges 36 of the body 30. The band 24a is of substantially uniform depth and has a straight horizontal lower edge 26a, which, at its ends, is upwardly curved, as indicated at 28a, to the body 30-. As shown in FIGURE 4, the side portions 38 of the band 24a, reach rearwardly beyond the ends of the rear edge 32, of the body 30, where the portions 38 are provided, at their upper rear corners, with fasteners 40, to which the related ends of a flexible elastic strap 42 are secured, which is designed to go around the back of the head of the wearer, for strapping the visor on his head.

For comfortable and secure engagement of the visor 22a with the forehead of the wearer, a relatively, narrow, downwardly extending arcuate flange 44 is provided on and along the curved rear edge 32 of the body 30.

In FIGURES 7 and 8, another form of visor 22b is shown, which is designed to be worn on a hat 10b, having a crown 12b, and a brim 14b. The visor 22b comprises a flat, relatively narrow, crescent-shaped body 30b, of a length to extend around the front of the brim 14b and the crown 12b, to the temple areas of the wearer, while resting upon the brim.

The body 30b has a convexly curved forward edge 34a and a concavely curved rear edge 3212, the forward edge 34b having substantially the same curvature as the forward edge 46 of the brim 14b. A relatively stiff band 24b, is suitably affixed to or is integral with and extends downwardly from and around the forward edge 34b of the body 30b, and has a substantially straight lower edge 26hv At the upper rear corners of the side portions 38b, of the band 24b, are fasteners 40!), to which related ends of a flexible elastic strap 42 are secured, the strap 42 being provided to go around the back of the hat crown 12b and secure the visor 22b in place, with the band 24b engaged with the forward edge 46 of the hat b, and with the body 30b resting upon the hat brim 14b. The rear edge 32!; of the body 301) is formed, midway between the ends thereof, with a V-shaped expansion notch 48, which enables the body 3012 to be adjusted in contour, to accommodate the visor 22b to hats having different diameter brims 14b.

The devices of FIGURES 4 to 6, and FIGURES 7 and 8, function like the device of FIGURES 1 to 3, to provide comfortable and convenient glare protection for their wearers, from both the front and the sides.

What is claimed is:

1. A visor adapted to be positioned on the forehead of a wearer, comprising a slightly arcuate body for extending a substantial distance forwardly, slightly downwardly and for the full width of the forehead of a wearer, said body having a convex forward edge directed forwardly, of single radius of curvature, side edges extending rearwardly and a curved rear edge, and a relatively narrow, continuous band depending from and extending completely around said forward and side edges of the body and terminating in a substantially straight bottom edge substantially at eye level of a wearer so as to position said band both at the front and at the sides of the body between the wearers eyes and incoming glare, said band being opaque to passage of light rays.

2. A visor according to claim 1 in combination with a cap having a crown portion and wherein said body comprises a peak on said cap, said rear edge being secured to the bottom forepart of the crown of said cap.

3. A visor according to claim 1, wherein the side edges of said body are straight and parallel, said band has side portions having rear ends, an elastic head encircling strap secured at its ends to the rear ends of said side portions, said rear edge of the body being a rearwardly directed concave curve, and a forehead engaging downturned flange on and extending along said concave rear edge.

4. A visor according to claim 1, wherein said body is substantially crescent shaped, the rear edge of the body' being formed intermediate its ends with a V-shaped expansion notch,

6. A visor according to claim 5 in combination with a hat having a crown and a brim, said brim having a convexly curved forward edge, said body of the visor resting upon the brim, said band being engaged with the forward edge of the brim, and said strap embracing the crown to secure the visor to the hat.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,198,337 9/1916 Folsom 2-12 2,095,517 10/1937 Bradshaw 2-12 2,330,442 9/ 1943 Nero 212 3,016,545 1/1962 Donahue 2-19 X 3,035,270 5/196-2 Boerner 210 FOREIGN PATENTS 634,093 11/ 1927 France. 242,310 12/ 1925 Great Britain.

JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

J. R. BOLER, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A VISOR ADAPTED TO BE POSITIONED ON THE FOREHEAD OF A WEARER, COMPRISING A SLIGHTLY ARCUATE BODY FOR EXTENDING A SUBSTANTIAL DISTANCE FORWARDLY, SLIGHTLY DOWNWARDLY AND FOR THE FULL WIDTH OF THE FOREHEAD OF A WEARER, SAID BODY HAVING A CONVEX FORWARD EDGE DIRECTED FORWARDLY OF SINGLE RADIUS OF CURVATURE, SIDE EDGES EXTENDING REARWARDLY AND A CURVED REAR EDGE, AND A RELATIVELY NARROW, CONTINUOUS BAND DEPENDING FROM AND EXTENDING COMPLETELY AROUND SAID FORWARD AND SAID EDGES OF THE BODY AND TERMINATING IN A SUBSTANTIALLY STRAIGHT BOTTOM EDGE SUBSTANTIALLY AT EYE LEVEL OF A WEARER SO AS TO POSITION SAID BAND BOTH AT THE FRONT END AT THE 